Saturday, September 24, 2016

****UPDATE FROM NATHAN: CHANGE OF VENUE FOR PEACEFUL MARCH TOMORROWThere is not time to get a
parade permit so there WILL BE A RALLY AT THE MARTIN LUTHER KING JR.
MEMORIAL AT 1:30PM TOMORROW SEPTEMBER 25.****

That's actually good - it means there are going to be enough people
present to need one. See ya at the MLK Memorial roundabout. Google
doesn't bring it up; if you do a map search for AC Widenhouse Transport
it's the closest physical address near the memorial:

. . . once you get to the roundabout, you can't miss it. There is parking available:

Holler if you can't read these and I'll send the map snips to you.

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Original post:

Trinity United CC has been a community leader in social equality and human rights for quite some time, and Nathan and his congregation are keeping on keeping on with a march to peacefully call attention to and make a statement on racism, the escalation of police and criminal violence, and finding solutions to injustice that don't involve more injustice.

I get really tired of hearing people toss off comments about how all this city . . . or state . . . or entire region . . . is nothing but a bunch of bigoted, back-assward, willfully ignorant troglodytes. We've given them plenty of ammo to power those statements over the years; can we demonstrate a presence of people that don't fit that stereotype this weekend?

If you're also tired of mean-spirited bullying instead of treating all people like human beings, of a stacked deck instead of justice, of fearmongering instead of talking to each other like rational adults, lemme see ya show up tomorrow. It won't cost you anything but time. If you want to make sure people
know why you're there with a sign, you can do it for $2 at Dollar Tree
for a piece of foam board and a marker.

You can accomplish a lot just by showing up. You show the bigots they're wrong when they say "everybody thinks like
us". You show the cynics they're wrong when they say "nobody gives a
shit". You show the kid who's scared to walk out his front door that
somebody cares whether he comes back home safe. You show people who've given up on peace and equality they can keep going.

I applaud and salute you, Tulsa. May justice and truth prevail for you, for Mr. Crutcher and his family, and all the other people of all colors who live with the monstrous fear that they could be next. (wish goes out)

Charlotte, YOU JUST UNDERMINED THE PROGRESS CIVIL RIGHTS ACTIVISTS HAVE BEEN WORKING FOR.

How the festering hell does it accomplish anything productive to put people out in 70-80 mph interstate traffic in the dark and make more human targets out of them?

How does it bring about any understanding of common humanity to take your anger out on people you've most highly likely never laid eyes on, some of whom are only passing through this city or state on the way to somewhere else? Does scaring the crap out of complete strangers make you a Righteous Badass?

Oh, yeah, riiiiiight, you got people's attention for "The Cause", so that makes it all shiny.
The only attention you're going to get out of this is obstructionist bigots using you like a dirty dishrag as an excuse to discredit real human rights efforts, and paint us all as mindless thugs, liars, and credulous morons like they always have.

You have to be smarter than the people who want to keep you down. DO NOT hand them the tools to keep doing it.

If justice and truth prevail in Mr. Scott's case, it'll be in spite of this bullshit, not because of it.

Here's to a Best Outcome to their families and all the other people who got something out of this week they didn't deserve. May level headed integrity overcome baser agendas.

Miles Batty will be handy for questions, book signing, altitude consultation, and general geekbauchery.

PPD events are about community, and fall is about harvest and bounty. If you're fed, clothed, and got a roof over your head, CNC has several different ways you can get in on helping those that aren't and don't. Admission is non-perishable food and hygiene items, the

It's two days of music, dancing, jamming, workshops, rituals, finding out about community groups, shopping and craftwork, medieval arms demos, and the general public's opportunity to observe and ask questions for themselves about who Pagans are. The state fairgrounds has also added a load of new camping and RV sites, and I can vouch that there are few better places to nod off than under the huuuuuge long leaf pine trees that are all over the property ;0) See ya there!

Sunday, September 11, 2016

May the Ancestors of Standing Rock, Cheyenne River and all other affected parties set their hands and faces against unmindful acts of egocentric greed, and may the tools of that unmindfulness find better employment elsewhere. May all the people of the region and downriver consider the land that feeds them and the water they drink (wish goes out)

Tuesday, September 6, 2016

New goodies! Will have these at Enchanted Chalice this coming weekend, along with any others I get finished by then.

I saved some of the bacteria residue from the birch to see if I can replicate the spalting; stay tuned ;0)

Crash Oak

Holly

Holly

Crash Oak

Just for the 411: "Crash Oak" is the 40'-ish pin oak that dropped about a
third of itself on the house after a storm awhile back. The remaining
trunk and branches are coming back out really nicely; for reference, the
fence in the foreground is six feet tall. The log is one of the branches patiently awaiting being tweaked into a rustic (very) bench seat after ample time to dry out well.

So what we got here is storm-felled oak from a tree that ain't dead, for any Thor people out there. Some of the Crash Oak wood will also available for the people who're taking the Shoulda Wooda Coulda class here in October to make stuff out of.

As for the rest, all my wood comes from deadfall, storm damage, preventative grooming (which should have been done years ago on Crash), or wood somebody else cut that I saw fit to pay respects to.

Musical badasses Tuatha Dea are cranking it up loud Friday and Saturday night along with Alex Bledsoe, the author of the original Tufa Novels, and his muse Jennifer Goree. If none of that makes you squee, we can fix that:

There's all sorts of other misbehavior and quality hooliganism to get up to, so haul your cookies down the road and we'll see ya there! And if you're bemoaning a lack of cash to get in, tag the Facebook page or the crew page and volunteer to help out to score a free pass that day ;0)